MSR Guardian – Self Cleaning Water Filter

Yes you can freeze the Rapid Pure filters. I have frozen mine a few times. The rapid pure, or MSR reactor and fuel are my methods of choice when temps are freezing or there is good now on the ground. The Rapid Pure does work well as a gravity setup, as long as you fill the housing with water.

Though I would have liked to try a Rapidpure before getting this MSR Guardian, I do think this is the apex of backpacking water treatment design.  Name another treatment method/system that has or does this:

Filters 2.5L per minute

Filters bacteria + viruses

Withstands freezing + dropping onto concrete (at least 6′)

Cleans itself, requires no backflushing ever

Connects to both wide mouth and hose setups

Positive integrity test to ensure filter is working

Can be used with sources of water as small as a puddle

Though it weighs about a pound, it makes water filtering almost a non-issue.  I’d rather carry a ~16 ounce filter, drink whenever needed, and carry a clean liter of water VS. carrying two liters of dirty water and then stopping for 5-10 minutes so I can setup my gravity bag (or squeeeeeeeze), filter the water, backflush the system, etc.  Or, with the Rapidpure system, not know whether your filter will last long enough to complete your backpacking trip.

Drew, the self back flushing, freezing, and integrity test  are the reasons I am looking at the Guardian.   The price is the only thing keeping me from pulling the trigger.  I think I have decided to move away from the gravity filter for more than two people.   I will be interested to hear how it performance compares after 100 liters of filtering, vs new.

“Though I would have liked to try a Rapidpure before getting this MSR Guardian, I do think this is the apex of backpacking water treatment design.”

Apart from the crazy price, what is the difference between this and the First Need XLE purifier?

MSR GUARDIAN 2.5 L/min; 17oz; $297

FIRST NEED PURIFER 1.89 L/min; 16oz; $88

Well I guess if you carrying all that weight you might want the quicker pumper.

David,

The First Need XLE isn’t self cleaning and per the specs has to have the ‘canister’ replaced after only 180 gallons, compared with 10,000L for the MSR.

The filter I posted about had the same name and same appearance as the one in the OP’s photo. Granted, if it’s now over twice the price, I would certainly hope it is an improved version.

The residual water in any filter can be frozen. The issue is whether the filter functions after thawing out.

Roger wrote a thorough article in BPL on the Rapid Pure sometime ago. To complain that he failed to tell us about it is ridiculous.

I use a home-made pump filter that takes either a Sawyer mini or Platy Gravityworks cartridge, and weighs under 7 oz in the bag with a prefilter. Posted it in detail in MYOG some time ago. It removes Giardia, and other microbes. Not concerned about vires where I trek in the USA, and would boil if I were. No reason to carry anything heavier, nor pay the high price.

If leading a group of kids, I might consider this one if the pump rate is high enough.
IMO, this is one of those ‘expensive solution looking for a problem’ threads.

“Roger wrote a thorough article in BPL on the Rapid Pure sometime ago. To complain that he failed to tell us about it is ridiculous.”

Sam,

Clearly the sarcasm in reply to Roger’s comments went right over your head – maybe you had a tough week?  If you re-read that post, I was all but recommending the RapidPure system.  In fact, yesterday a co-worker bought one after I told him about it and showed him Roger’s thorough review.

I’d rather not rely on some myog sawyer/pump 7oz contraption for water treatment; that seems like a [over complicated] problem in search of a solution.  I’ll pass.

Not sure about other filters, but sawyer filters = dead if frozen.  The MSR Guardian can be frozen with water in it, but simply has to be thawed before pumping, which requires common sense.  Where and when I backpack in the Sierra, freezing temps at night are quite common even in summer.

HYOH, but you’re not going to convince everyone that a sawyer squeeze (or mini) is worth the weight or price.  I’d been down that road for the last 2-3 years and I’m not going back.  I might carry a mini as a failsafe, but other than that…. have fun backflushing.

As far as expense… everyone has budget.  Cuben fiber, 900 fill down, 3-layer rain jackets… all not cheap.  Heck, we gladly spend $300+ on a Bearikade which simply holds food for certain trips, so ~$300 on a water purifier that will be used on every trip, several times a day suddenly isn’t that bad of a deal.

MSR Guardian Purifier Pump on SALE $279.96

GO HERE

I just pulled the trigger on one.  20% off at backcountry.com right now.

I predict these things will be half price by next year at this time.

And a lot more comments on how well it works… or how poorly.

billy

I predict these things will be half price by next year at this time.

Yes, that is always a bit of a clue.

Cheers

I predict these things will be half price by next year at this time

You must be a weatherman.

Do you have any useful predictions or do you just blurt out poppycock?

;D

Mountaingear has 20% off this and another 15% at checkout for a price of $237.

Will this filter desalinate salty water?

Nope

Have had mine for a year now.  Works great.  Its been used on a handful of trips.  Works great on group trips and people are always amazed by it when they see how fast it is. I also use it when I go fishing.  Nothing easier and quicker.  Never having to back flush is great also.

I know its pricy but so are a lot of things that we buy for backpacking.  Water is probably one of the most important things and we normally take it for granite. So whats another couple hundred dollars.